All About Zephyr Southern Brasserie, a Stylish French Arrival for Centennial Yards

1. It’s meant to be a breath of fresh air.

The restaurant was created to be a breath of fresh air (the word ‘zephyr’ denotes a soft gentle breeze or westerly wind), as hotel leadership and Shaun Hergatt — the internationally acclaimed, multi-Michelin star-awarded brought on as consulting chef – dined across Atlanta to understand what might be missing across the city’s offerings. What emerged was an opportunity to offer a blend of French and soulful Southern in a sumptuously transportive setting.

This conclusion makes the name doubly significant as the designers drew inspiration from the original Zephyr train’s Vista-Dome cars. While it never ran here, the hoteliers agreed that they “wanted our restaurant to capture that same sense of journey and hospitality, elevated and a bit adventurous.”

These elements can be felt in the grand chandeliers meant to evoke the impressions of historic stations like Grand Central Station, art nouveau-inspired tile patterns, warm glass pendant lighting, and ceiling installations that echo the tracks to Terminus — all which share the space with the work of over 20 artists – including Atlantans like Cosmo Whyte and Vyvyan Hughes.

A better backdrop couldn’t be imagined for the culinary excellence stationed here.

2. There’s some top culinary talent in the kitchen.

What makes the team at Zephyr unique is that, like the railways that intersect Atlanta, many of the powerhouses that have made this newcomer their hub have done so by changing tracks.

Taking a unique tack, director of food and beverage, Omari Buncum (formerly of The Forth, home of Elektra and Il Premio) says, “We weren’t looking at titles — we were looking for strong leaders.”

It was this philosophy that led him to invite Carelys Vazquez to take the reins as the founding executive chef for all of the hotel’s outlets, including Zephyr — a massive and unusual pivot for an accomplished pastry chef with a history of award-winning programs in her specialty. With her pledge to build and inspire teams, and create an environment where “chefs can feel empowered,” it became clear that she was the right conductor to get growth on track, laying the foundation for current executive chef Christian Quiñones to take over.

A Puerto Rico native who completed his culinary studies in Florida and the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastian, Spain, Quiñones was recruited similarly for the people-first culture he brings to his projects. And serving as chef de cuisine is Jonathan Mailo, in addition to executive pastry chef Stephen Huang, most recently of the lauded Atlas Restaurant at The St. Regis Atlanta hotel in Buckhead.

Last but not least is nationally acclaimed mixologist Thandi Walton, who is both curating the beverage program in addition to pivoting to a new role as general manager here.

3. The menu isn’t reinventing anything — it’s just doing things very well.

The all-day Bar Z in Zephyr is where guests will be able to grab morning coffee, pastries, small plates between meals, and cocktails before or after the concerts and sporting events occurring just steps away. But don’t let the tightly curated menu fool you — the full sit-down experience is just as marquee-worthy as whatever you might be downtown for.

While there’s been a surge of French brasseries in Atlanta, Hergatt says, “Brasserie dining is something understood on a global level, and the hotel has both international and local guests. We wanted to appeal to both segments but intentionally lean into the community, the South.”

With an emphasis on working with local farmers and purveyors and prioritizing sustainability, he proves it with ingredients throughout the entire menu, including the roasted tomato soup that’s been a Hergatt signature since he was 23. Other examples include a lush crab cake dense in an Old Bay-spiced buerre blanc, foie gras with scored with impeccable precision, classic salads like Caesar and endive, and tartares that cover land (steak) and sea (tuna).

4. A deep dive into the menu reveals a strong Southern influence.

Yet as lovely as these traditional small plates are, it’s the transfer point where things start to head South that things get even more exciting. Regional comfort gets continental flair in snacks like deviled eggs whipped with curry. The humbly named shrimp biscuit steals the starters show as a buttermilk boat that blurs the line between soft Southern biscuits and Irish scones. And under mains, salmon is blackened and served with oyster mushrooms and Hoppin’ John.

But don’t think the menu is pretentious. Guests can choose to eschew elegance and instead, dig hands-first into a short rib burger or an order of steak frites.

Eat hearty to match Walton’s healthy pours in smooth cocktails like the Iron Horse Blossom of peach blossom tea, honey, and ginger, which sips like a tincture. Other rail-themed drinks created just for Zephyr like The Gulch Resurgence with rye, lemon and honey and the Boxcar Burn with toasted coconut hibiscus, spicy agave, lime, and grapefruit carry the journey in simple pleasure.

Combined with the food offerings, the experience is a throwback to glamorous luxury rail service of yore, where the passage of time is marked only by the steady chug of service and conversation.

But best of all, as Zephyr gains steam, we can look forward to it empowering the Phoenix in elevating expectations for downtown dining in Atlanta — a wind of change signaling that it’s a restaurant dead zone no more.

Zephyr Southern Brasserie is open daily for breakfast from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and mid-day service from 3 to 5 p.m. Dinner hours are from 5 to 10 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday, and 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Su-Jit Lin is a rehabilitated New Yorker, former New Orleanian, and current Atlantan, in addition to being a travel, food, and lifestyle writer. She has contributed to EatingWell, HuffPost, Epicurious, The Takeout, Eater, The Kitchn, VinePair, Thrillist, Food & Wine, Serious Eats, Southern Living, and more. Follow her on Instagram. Follow Resy, too.